From: Transform Ukraine By Douglas Landro / May 10, 2025
As Putin Hosts Grand Victory Day Parade with Xi Jinping and Other Foreign Leaders, Russian Forces Violate Self-Declared Ceasefire; European Ministers Approve Special Tribunal for Russian Leadership While Trump Calls for 30-Day Truce
Summary of the Day – May 9, 2025
As Vladimir Putin orchestrated a carefully staged Victory Day pageant in Moscow showcasing Russian military might and international alliances, the reality on the battlefield told a starkly different story. Russia’s self-declared three-day “humanitarian pause” was violated within hours as guided aerial bombs rained down on Sumy Oblast and attacks killed civilians in multiple regions. Meanwhile, a significant diplomatic counterpoint unfolded in Lviv, where delegations from 35 countries formalized plans for a special tribunal to prosecute Russia’s leadership for the crime of aggression. In Washington, President Trump called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire as European leaders prepared to visit Kyiv in a show of solidarity, significantly narrowing the diplomatic daylight between Ukraine and its Western backers amid increasing pressure on Moscow to accept meaningful peace talks.
Phantom Peace: Russia’s Ceasefire Claims Shattered by Continued Attacks
Russia’s self-declared Victory Day truce, announced by the Kremlin to run from May 8 to midnight on May 11, proved little more than a theatrical gesture aimed at providing favorable optics for Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations. Within hours of the supposed humanitarian pause, Ukrainian authorities reported Russian forces had launched 130 guided aerial bombs against Sumy Oblast on May 8, followed by an additional 56 bombs by midday on May 9.
The deadly charade continued as Russian attacks killed at least two civilians and wounded 12 others across Ukraine during the supposed ceasefire. In Kharkiv Oblast, five people were injured by FPV drone and artillery attacks. Russian strikes in Kherson Oblast killed one person and wounded another while damaging residential buildings. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a woman was killed in another Russian attack, while two others were injured by an FPV drone strike. Donetsk Oblast saw three residents wounded, and an 83-year-old man was injured in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Voice of Ukraine 